The King of Legend: Brady Parker
by LovetheDream
Summary: King Brady overhears Mikayla saying he's not mature enough to be with her. He decides to leave the castle and live as a normal peasant of Kinkow to grow into the man Mikayla needs him to be. However, he meets a wise old man who tells Brady that Kinkow needs its king of legend again, for the dark side is getting stronger. Eventual Brakayla.
1. Leaving Paradise

Brady and Boomer were not known for their maturity. The whole of the island pretty much knew that the twin kings had a lot of growing up to do. However, the island's opinion of Brady and Boomer did not affect their actions. They were free to be as they were, and they liked having fun and going against the island's rules. Perhaps it was because of their entrusted friends and guides-Mason and his daughter Mikayla. They always remained loyal to the kings, and always believed in them to be the "kings of legend." No matter how deep Kinkow was in danger, the Makoola's remained to see the kings in a good light. Their faith in both Brady and Boomer gave the kings good moral support. So when Brady decided to eavesdrop on a conversation between Mikayla and her friend, he didn't think he'd hear doubt coming from Mikayla about his abilities as a possible love interest. He heard her say,

"He's still too immature…" He didn't bother to hear the rest. All he could pay attention to was the pounding of his heart, the blood rushing to his ears, and the hurt and rejection crawling through his veins. Didn't she believe in him like she and her father always have? If she thought he was too immature to be with her, then how could he be mature enough to rule a kingdom? He fled from the scene. He didn't think he'd run this fast in his whole life. He didn't think he was even capable of a jog longer than three minutes. Brady sped up the stairs of the castle, ignoring the stares he got from curious maids. He made it up to his room, breathing heavily. Thankfully his twin brother Boomer was out. He didn't think he would be able to face him with what he was about to do. What _was_ he about to do? Without really thinking, he took off his ring and threw it across the room. He didn't want it anymore. It just felt wrong now. He wasn't "mature" enough. _Maybe you need to leave and grow up. _Brady tensed when the thought crossed his mind. Should he leave Kinkow? _No, you wouldn't last a week without being close to Boomer. _His conscious was right. He wouldn't, no _couldn't_, be that far away from his twin brother. So what was the other option?

Brady walked across his room and picked up his ring. He examined it's crystal. It was a ruby, yet it somehow glowed with an aura that showed it held some form of magical power. He looked around his room and saw his songbook next to his guitar. He picked the notebook up, and ripped out a piece of paper. He wrote,

_ I need to figure some things out about myself- as both a king of Kinkow and as a man. I withdraw my title as king until I decide I am ready to return. Don't try to find me. You won't succeed. I love you, Boom. Don't blame this on yourself. Same goes for both Mason and Mikayla. This is my choice. I want this. I_ need _this. _

-Brady

He read it a few times to make sure everything is spelt correctly and enough was said. Then, with a great sadness, he began to pack his things. Clothing, soap (he decided that was a step towards maturity), and survival tools. He stuffed it all in a backpack, and threw it over his shoulder. Brady then walked over to his bed and placed his note and ring on the covers. He wiped his wet eyes, and walked down one flight of stairs to go through a secret passage out of the castle that he discovered accidentally a couple of months ago when he tripped on air. He lifted up the torch, and automatically a tunnel was revealed. He took the torch and stepped through the entryway with caution. He knew the tunnel led to the jungle, but he still was cautious about what might pop out at him. After a few steps he heard the entryway close, and Brady knew then that there was no turning back.

The tunnel was long and tiresome, until finally Brady began to see light in the distance. He breathed out a sigh of relief, and remorse. The whole journey through gave him time to think about what he just did. _Oh God, what _did _I just do?_ How could he just leave Boomer behind? Was this really for the best? The sound of a branch snapping broke Brady from his thoughts. He was so distracted that he didn't even realize that he had made it out of the tunnel and into the heart of the jungle, which was miles away from civilization. Brady quickly unzipped his backpack and took out a pocket knife, and held it out at arm's length to defend himself. More noises took place from a distance, and it sounded like someone, or some_thing_ was coming towards him! The leaves in front of him rustled and an old man walked out from the dense brush. Brady exhaled and slouched from his defensive position. The old man looked at him curiously, and tilted his head with an interested look on his face.

"W-Who are you?" Brady stuttered. The old man walked closer and Brady took in his profile. He had olive toned skin that was wrinkled but his physique made it seem like he was in pretty good shape for someone who was of old age. He wore Kinkowian clothing, and held a staff that had multi-colored feathers sprouting from the top. He had blackish gray hair, with a long beard coming from his chin. He had deep green eyes, and they held a look of knowledge and wisdom. There was also this aura around him that could either scream "Danger" or "Helpful", but it just depended who you were to him. Brady was about to find out.

"The more important question is, who are _you_?" The old man had a deep yet light voice, and reminded Brady of Dumbledore from _Harry Potter_.

"Are you a wizard?" Brady blurted out without meaning to. The thought of Harry Potter just distracted him from the matter at hand. However, instead of feeling insulted, the old man merely just chuckled.

"I am Coato (COH-UH-TOW), and no, I am not a wizard," Coato replied. Brady ran a hand through his hair, and groaned out loud. The day had caught up to him and he was completely drained, both emotionally and physically. Coato, noticing this, smiled kindly at Brady,

"You've had a rough day. I know who you are. I can sense it. You are the former co-king of Kinkow, and for that I am honored to be in your presence. I was out looking for herbs, but you can stay in my home for the night, if you'd like." Brady immediately jumped at the offer. His instincts told him that Coato meant no harm, and he'd prefer not to stay in the jungle all alone. So he nodded, almost too enthusiastically, and followed Coato. The old man stopped along the way a few times to pick up certain greens that he said had "magical properties". Brady said nothing at this, although he did want to ask him how Coato could tell the difference between normal grass and the "magical grass". He did not say it aloud though, Brady simply followed Coato until night had fallen.

Just as Brady was about to lose his already low patience, a small hut appeared in a rather beautiful clearing. The ground was full of vegetables and flowers Brady had never seen before, and it almost looked like some flowers were glowing with moonlight. Although it was hard to see in the dark, Brady could make out a small waterfall and pond-like lake in the distance. However, what stood out the most was the smell. Instead of smelling like the rest of Kinkow, which smelt like the sun and musty rainwater, this place smelt a mix of many things that blended together to make the most amazingly wonderful smell Brady had ever smelt (and that's saying something, he's smelt Mikayla's hair.) It was a blend of freshly cut grass, lemons, pine, mint, lilies, and something similar to the smell of a forest after it rained. Brady took a moment to stand there and commit the smell to memory. Coato turned around and must've noticed the reason Brady had paused because he simply smiled in understanding.

"I found this place a few years ago; it stood out to me as the most precious of things," Coato stated as they both walked to the front of the hut. It was of normal size, though Brady wondered how such an old man could build something like this. It had a grass roof and bamboo walls, and when Brady entered it looked like it had two rooms. At least, there was a curtain made of grass that split the hut in half. On the right side it looked like a bedroom, since there was a cot made of wood and grass as bedding laying on the ground. Next to it was a wooden shelf full of ancient books that looked like they might fall apart from overuse. There was also a nightstand that held a candle and reading glasses. On the left side was a room that was mostly bare except a few bags of beans and rice and other herbs in piles of two.

"You could stay in the storage room, I'll go collect some grass for you to sleep on," Coato told Brady. Brady said an "okay" and he sauntered into the left half of the room, or the "storage room" as Coato called it, and sat down on the grass-covered ground. Within a few moments, Brady slumped to the ground, curled up into a ball and slept. Coato came back a couple of minutes later with hands full of grass only to find Brady already asleep. The old man smiled and placed the grass next to Brady, walked over to the right side of the hut, and followed Brady's example.

**TBC…**

**Let me know if you like it! This is un-beta'd & my first fanfic ever so don't go too hard on me!**

**LONG LIVE BRAKAYLA & KING BRADY!**


	2. Tending Wounds

Brady woke to the sound of the jungle: birds chirping, monkeys chimping, and elephants roaring. He opened his eyes, and his surroundings, along with the memories of yesterday's events, appeared. Brady moaned when he tried stretching and felt the stiffness of his limbs from sleeping the wrong way on something that wasn't a bed. His stomach grumbled when he smelt breakfast cooking outside, and followed it like a moth to a light. He found rice and beans cooking over a fire that was a few feet away from the hut, and sat down on a log close to the flames.

"Good, you are awake," Brady heard Coato say. He looked up to see Coato holding a fishing stick with two salmon on it.

"Did you know that it is already the afternoon? You slept like a rock," Coato continued while he placed the stick and salmon over the fire. Brady was too sleepy to come up with a snarky remark, so he remained silent. Coato took a seat on a log across from Brady and the two sat in companionable silence until Coato decided to break it,

"So, young king, what are you doing so far away from your castle all alone with only a pocket knife to protect you?" Brady faintly felt like he was being scolded, and he found his snark again,

"I don't only have a knife to protect me, I have these weapons right here-Boom Boom POW!" Brady flexed his arm muscles to prove his point. Coato stared at Brady for a moment, perhaps to see whether Brady was being serious. When he could see that the king was not kidding, he decided to reply with,

"So, if I decided to attack you now, you'd be able to defend yourself?" Brady raised a mocking eyebrow. Of course he could take this old man. Sensing a challenge, Coato rose from his seat, and Brady did the same. The both stepped away from the fire, but still kept their distance. Without any warning, Coato closed the distance with unbelievable speed and agility that no old man could posses. Brady tried to raise his arms to protect himself, but Coato was faster. He punched Brady straight in the gut, knocking the wind out of him, causing the former king to fall to his knees. Coato ended his attack by punching Brady across the face-_hard_. Brady had never felt so much pain. His stomach and cheek felt like they were burning like the fire, and throbbing like his heart. But he couldn't just give up. So with a new determination, Brady rose and tried to throw a lazy punch towards Coato, but Coato dodged this and used Brady's momentum and overthrown position to elbow him in the back. Brady fell on his face, and his back was now on the list of "body parts that hurt _a lot_". But did he give up? Never. Brady proceeded to get up slowly, and turned around again to swing another punch towards Coato. The old man caught his forearm, kneed him in the ribs causing Brady to hunch over, and he slammed his arm down on the king's back so hard it forced Brady to crumple to the ground. Even if he wanted to, Brady couldn't get up again. It felt as though everything managed to get bruised, and he was pretty sure his cheek was bleeding. Who _was _this man? It sure taught Brady a lesson. _Never_ underestimate your opponent. This was the last thing Brady thought before darkness consumed him.

Brady woke for the second time that day to the sound of someone whistling. He blinked a few times before he was able to adjust to his surroundings, and he saw that he was back in the hut on a cot. _Did the man carry me?_ He thought to himself, when said man was dipping bandages in a bowl of water, and turned to put them on Brady.

"Ah, you are awake. I am very impressed with you. Perhaps Kinkow stands a chance," Coato murmured almost to himself. He proceeded to put the cloth on Brady, whom of which had realized he was shirtless, and the former king looked down to see what damage had been made. He was pretty much bruised all over, though the worst bruise was on his side. Brady groaned in pain when he tried to move, but gave up when he realized it just wasn't worth it. He glared at Coato. Was this really necessary just to prove that he couldn't defend himself? Coato caught Brady's glare and gave a _tsk_ noise of disapproval.

"Now, do not put the blame of this on me. This was all your own doing. I did not realize that you have a character of perseverance." Brady had to grudgingly agree with Coato's statement and remained quiet while Coato continued to whistle and put herbs on Brady's chest. "These herbs have magical properties, so your wounds shall be healed in a matter of a few hours. Just remember to stay still." Brady nodded, and just as Coato began to leave, a thought came to mind.

"Wait," Brady protested, and Coato stopped to turn back to Brady with a questioning look, "What you did back there...it was the best fighting I've ever seen. And you said that 'Kinkow might have a chance'. If I put that together correctly, I'm guessing that you didn't just accidentally run into me back there...?" Coato looked impressed that Brady could figure it out.

"You are correct. I did not run into you accidentally, I had a feeling you would be there, and I followed that feeling," Coato paused before explaining more, "Long ago, there was a prophecy that predicted the rise of the tarantula people and their leader. Kinkow will lose its light side and all will become dark. But there is also hope. A king of legend is able to rise to meet the foe, and he alone will be able to lead Kinkow to the light." Brady raised his hand like he was in class, but then faltered and groaned in pain.

"Wait, you said _king_ of legend, instead of _kings_. Does that mean that only one of us, me or Boomer, is able to save Kinkow? Why not the both of us?"

"It is true. There is more than one king of legend. Trouble that has arisen in the past needed both kings to save Kinkow, but I am afraid that for this particular prophecy, only one king-and he alone-will be able to save Kinkow."

"How do you know it's me? I mean, I know I'm good-looking and all, but it could be Boomer." Coato looked like he was expecting this question. He sat down across from Brady and shifted a few times to get comfortable, and the king tried to follow his example, though it was almost impossible to move without feeling some sort of pain.

"The prophecy foretold us that the king of legend will have doubts about his place on the throne. You were obviously _not_ taking a leisure stroll in the middle of the jungle, but trying to flee from the castle." Coato gave Brady a knowing look, and Brady looked down so he wouldn't meet his eyes. "So, my king, there is no doubt that you are the one the prophecy foretells about."

Brady didn't know what to think. He just _felt._ He felt like there was a new weight placed on his shoulders. I mean, the island of Kinkow was counting on him.

"What do I have to do? How do I "rise to meet to foe"?" Brady, without really meaning to, let his imagination run a bit. Was he supposed to meet with the tarantula people for a picnic? Does he just talk about making peace treaties and all is well with Kinkow?

"You fight." Coato told Brady casually as if he were saying "the sky is blue". Brady, however, was mentally freaking out. Fight? _Fight?_ He just lost a fight with an old man, and now the prophecy was expecting him to fight with the longest known enemy of Kinkow? But, as usual, Brady covered up his insecurities with sarcasm.

"Of course. Just line 'em up and I'll just fight them with these babies, Boom Boom POW!" Brady meant to raise up his arms like he usually did with those words, but unfortunately he was unable to, so he looked utterly ridiculous. Coato stifled a laugh and coolly turned it into a cough.

"It is my destiny to train you to become the true king of legend, young one." Brady gave him an apprehensive look,

"What makes you so sure I'll be able to live up to this prophecy?" Coato stood up, indicating that their conversation was close to an end.

"I have faith in you. That is all you will need. We will start your preparation tomorrow. Sleep well."

**TBC...**

**This is un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine! **

**LONG LIVE BRAKAYLA & KING BRADY!**


	3. Learning History

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pair of Kings. All rights belong to Disney XD. (Of course, if I did own it, Mitchel Musso would be back kicking some major butt...)**

The king planned to get at least 12 hours of sleep so he'd be nice and rested for the training. Unfortunately, Coato had other plans, which resulted in having a bucket of ice water dumped on Brady. Said king made a very feminine high-pitched squeal and literally jumped out of his makeshift bed. He stumbled around on his knees and forearms for a bit before Coato spoke up in a clipped town,

"Well, it is good to know that your wounds are healed. Up you go." Brady felt his anger and annoyance rise, and leapt to his feet and spun around to see Coato holding a now empty bucket. Coato gave him a very mocking look which provoked Brady to an angrier state.

"Was that really necessary?" Brady shouted in indignation. Coato simply waved his hands as a sign for Brady to follow him. The king begrudgingly followed, but not without muttering a few insults at the old man.

"What did you say?" Coato stopped right at the hut's entrance.

"Nothing," Brady said quickly. Coato stared at Brady for a moment before letting it slide. He led him outside where a meal of beans and rice was already prepared. After a few minutes of grumbling about not getting enough beauty sleep, Brady started to let go of his anger and lighten up about the training.

"So, what are we going to do today? Sword fighting? Well, I guess we'll have to use sticks, but I'm cool with that!" Brady kept on babbling about using sticks for sword fighting until Coato held up his hand to silence him. The king obliged by slapping his hands across his mouth with wide eyes.

"Today," Coato began and Brady leaned forward in anticipation, "We will read." Brady's heart sunk so fast he was expecting it to make a _plop _sound.

"Wait, what?" Brady asked, confused. How was _reading_ supposed to help him defeat the tarantula people? Coato grabbed two wooden bowls and spoons from nearby and began to scoop up their breakfast. He held out a bowl to Brady, who took it with attitude, before saying,

"It is not possible for one to defeat an unknown enemy. You need to know how to walk before you run." Brady resisted the urge to throw up his hands in the air and groan. Could this crazy old man _please_ refrain from speaking in riddles and metaphors? Brady's thoughts immediately went to Mikalya for what felt like the millionth time. She would always teach things to the kings with words that were easy to comprehend, and was patient (_most the time)_ when the kings needed more instruction. Brady felt something in his heart that was close to pain. He missed her terribly. He missed her smile, her bossiness, and most of all, he missed the way she would look at him when she thought he didn't notice. It rarely happened, but sometimes she would look at him almost fondly. The sound of Coato adding wood to the fire distracted Brady from his thoughts of Mikayla, and he concentrated on the matter at hand. Oh, right, he was to _read _today so he'd understand the tarantula people. Which, by the way, made no sense. Brady stuffed his mouth quickly to get this day over.

The two finished their meal before making their way back to the hut. Coato led an unwilling Brady to the right side of the shelter where the bookshelf stood. He ran his wrinkled hand over the books before stopping at a particular one. He carefully pulled it out and blew on the cover to remove its dust, and handed it to Brady. The king sat down on Coato's bed while Coato himself got a bag of rice to sit on comfortably. Brady reached out and ran his thumb along the letters on the cover. The title read, _The Tarantula People & Their History_. Brady opened it to the first page and read the first line out loud,

"'_The tarantula people are warriors whose greatest wish is to resurrect their mummy, Kaita the Bat-Rider, using the ancient Bat Medallion'…" _Brady continued to read the book while Coato just listened, sometimes mouthing the parts he memorized. The book talked about how violence was not always the tarantula people's way, and several tarantula people split away from their kind because they were sick by their people's use of violence. Brady slowly but surely began to grow more interested in the book, and the more he read, the more animated he became.

"'_The tarantula people tie other people to boards and use tarantula's to torture them'…_Oh! That happened to me and Boomer, the tarantulas tickled so much, it really _was_ torture." Coato raised an eyebrow at this, but decided to let it pass. Brady read and read until he finished the very last page. He looked up at Coato who had nodded off, and Brady looked outside to see that it was already the afternoon. He put the book down and nudged Coato on the shoulder. Coato made a few noises that indicated he didn't want to wake up and Brady laughed at the irony. He decided to let Coato have his way, and left the hut to go exploring.

The clearing definitely looked different in the sunlight. The flowers didn't glow with moonlight, but still managed to look like they were aglow with sunshine. Brady could clearly see the waterfall, but it now looked farther away than before, about a half mile distance (0.8 km). Its water reflected the sunlight, making it seem like it was sparkling. He went back to the hut to make sure Coato was still sleeping, and sure enough, he was. Brady smiled with his luck and raced off to the waterfall. By the time he reached it he was glistening with sweat. He stripped off his shirt but left on his shorts before jumping into the bright blue water.

"COLD!" Brady shouted out, but after a few minutes of swimming around his body got used to it. He swam over to the waterfall and let it wash over his head. He moved away from the waterfall and swam towards the center of the tiny lake where the sun shone the brightest. Brady let out a content sigh. _This hits the spot_, he thought to himself. He let the sound of the waterfall soothe him. He felt his worries melt away into the water, and he just lay on his back with his eyes closed to enjoy this new found bliss. It was short-lived.

Brady began to hear noises coming from the jungle that distinctly sounded like voices. The voices got closer and Brady scrambled to hide behind the waterfall. He took a peek through the curtain of water to see three Kinkowian guards walking towards the clearing. Mikayla was one of them. Brady spluttered and flailed his arms around, in a complete freak out mode. Why was she here? He remembered writing in his letter to not try to find him! _Would Mikayla really listen to your demands? _He rhetorically asked himself. The obvious answer was no. Brady looked up again to watch Mikayla. She was just as beautiful as two days ago, with long and wavy brown hair and light brown eyes. He had to mentally shake himself before going off into a daze from thinking about her. Mikayla and the other two guards walked to the edge of the clearing, when suddenly Mikayla held her arm out to stop. She pointed over to an area next to the waterfall, and when Brady saw what she was pointing at, he mentally smacked himself.

Clear as day, right next to the place where he swam, was his plaid blue button up shirt laying out for all to see. Mikayla walked over to his shirt and picked it up. She lifted it up to her nose to smell, and nodded her head at the other guards. She held the shirt up for them to see, and told them something Brady couldn't hear over the sound of the waterfall. The other two nodded and the three hurriedly walked away, probably to tell everyone else what they had found. When they were gone, Brady let out a shaky breath and swam out from his hiding place behind the waterfall. He was not expecting that. Of course, now that he really thought about it, it's no surprise that they would try to look for him. Boomer would miss him and want his twin back, while Mason and Mikayla would think that he'd just get himself killed since there wasn't anyone to protect him.

Brady walked over to the place where his now missing shirt was.

"And now I have no shirt," Brady mumbled to himself. He couldn't believe his luck. He wouldn't have thought that anyone would be able to find this place, least of all be able to discover that he was here.

But they _did_ find it.

And they know that he was here.

And now he has to tell that to Coato.

**TBC...**

**This is un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine! **

**LONG LIVE BRAKAYLA & KING BRADY!**


	4. Taking Captive

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pair of Kings. All rights belong to Disney XD. (Of course, if I did own it, Mitchel Musso would be back with all his funniness.)**

Brady ran as fast as he could to the hut. Wind blew through his hair, blood pumped furiously to his legs. He had one thought and one thought only: leave. This time when he passed by all the wildlife around him, he tried not to stop and marvel at its beauty. There wasn't any time to get sidetracked by the glorious smell, the wonderful plants, or the most beautiful-_right, don't get distracted, don't get distracted, don't get distracted, _Brady chanted this over and over in his head.

"Coato!" Brady busted through the hut without a warning. He rushed over to the right side, only to see Coato gathering supplies and putting them into a sack. Upon hearing Brady enter, he looked up and told the king,

"We need to leave." Brady just stood there with wide eyes. Well, that's one worry checked off of his list. But it didn't explain how Coato knew…

"How did you..., "Brady began, before Coato cut him off,

"Know that your situation became compromised? I had a feeling."_ He says that a lot_, Brady noted. Brady wasn't really in the mood to ask questions about Coato's "feelings" though, so he just let it go for the time being. So he only responded with,

"Right. Of course you did." The king traveled over to his side of the hut to take out his backpack of supplies. He grabbed his only spare shirt, and quickly put on the black V-neck. He proceeded to help Coato pack; they made sure to only grab the necessities. Blankets, lanterns, magical herbs, water bottles, and some crucial toiletries were all stuffed into Coato's sack and Brady's backpack.

"Shouldn't we bring some books. You know, for me to learn about the island and stuff?" Brady asked while looking at the bookshelf.

"They are too heavy. Besides, they are just pages. I have the words," Coato replied.

"You memorized _all_ of them?" Brady asked incredulously. Coato put on a coat made of animal fur before telling him,

"I know enough." With that, Coato took his sack and held it out for Brady to take.

"I've already got my backpack to carry, thank you very much," Brady rejected. He did _not_ want travel for miles with an extra ten pounds.

"Consider this part of your training. Don't you want to save Kinkow?" Coato persuaded. Brady snatched the sack out of Coato's hands and threw it over his shoulder. He let out a dramatic _humph_, which Coato ignored, and they both walked out of the hut and into the afternoon sunlight. Coato led the way with Brady right on his tail. The king and the old man walked until they were close to the edge of the clearing. Before they were out of there for good, Brady paused to look back at the hut that was now a dot in the horizon. He was truly going to miss this place; the sight, the smell, even his uncomfortable makeshift bed. Brady bent down to pick up a handful of herbs and grasses, and stuffed them in the pockets of his shorts. When Coato gave him an inquisitive look, he explained with a sad smile,

"I don't want to forget the smell." Coato closed the short distance between them and clasped his shoulder,

"Perhaps in the future, if it shall let, you could return here someday." Brady looked up into the old man's eyes to see if he was being truthful. He was glad to see he was.

"Yeah, the waterfall would be a great place to take a swim. Its way better than the beach where there might be evil mermaids, Do-Over watches, sinking sand, or giant birds that poop on picnics…" Brady rambled on about the dangers of Kinkow's beaches. They continued to walk for miles while Brady talked about his adventures with Boomer and other companions. He talked about Mikayla with so much wonder that Coato had a knowing smile plastered to his face every time she got mentioned. Coato was a good listener: he nodded at the right times, asked questions when Brady forgot an important point of the story, or offered Brady water when he seemed too dehydrated to continue.

Brady felt good to talk about his family and friends. It did make him homesick for the castle, but he used that missing piece in his heart to walk faster, harder, longer. Brady ran out of stories to tell around the tenth mile (16 km), but the sounds of the jungle filled the silence.

Coato traveled fast, but Brady managed to keep up with him. Mikayla would be impressed with the king. In the past, Boomer and Brady would always complain about the exercise and demand a break every five minutes. Now, Brady held in his complaints and walked on. Before long, it was nightfall, and they finally stopped at a resting point. Coato lit a crackling fire to keep them warm throughout the night, while Brady took out some blankets and laid them on the ground as cushioning. He plopped down on them and stared out into the open sky. The stars were out shining down on him, and he searched for the Big and Little Dipper's. Kinkow's sky was much less murkier than Chicago's, he could clearly see the Milky Way. He realized that Boomer and everyone else back in the castle were all under the same stars, and the missing piece in his heart didn't bring as much pain as it did before. The black sky and the white stars was the last thing Brady saw before drifting into a peaceful sleep.

It wasn't peaceful when Brady woke up.

This time it wasn't a bucket of ice water. It was much worse. He startled awake when he felt a cold metal pressed against his forehead. He opened his blurry eyes to see a tarantula person towering over him with a spear in his hand. He pressed the sharp edge harder into Brady's forehead, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to give his point across. Brady looked around when he heard noises of a struggle. He watched Coato do a round house kick on a tarantula person's face, and Brady resisted the urge to cheer him on. The tarantula person stumbled back, but two others were there to back him up. They gained up on Coato, and soon enough they overwhelmed him with their weapons. Two grabbed Coato to hold him steady, while the third stood in front of him. Coato locked eyes with a panicked Brady, and he gave him a look that meant, "_Don't interfere."_ Brady gulped.

"Ooka pooka mali waku?" The third tarantula person asked Coato in his native tongue. When Coato glared at him and didn't respond, the tarantula person angrily smacked him in the face.

_"Ooka pooka mali waku?!"_ He repeated. Coato gave him a mocking smile and the tarantula person yelled in annoyance. He turned to the fourth tarantula person who was pointing his spear at Brady,

"Yama buki abu." The fourth obeyed whatever command he gave and forced Brady to stand up. He tied Brady's hands with some rope and the other three tied Coato's up as well. The tarantula people surrounded Brady and Coato and began leading them south.

"What are they doing in the light side? Do they know who I am? How'd they find us? Where are they taking us?" Brady spluttered.

"They wanted to know where the king of legend was, so I don't think they know it is you yet. And no, I don't know how they found us. This was a surprise. I did not have a feeling of danger," Coato spoke quietly while furrowing his eyes in confusion, "They are most likely taking us to the dark side." Brady felt fear simmering in his stomach.

"To do what?" Brady managed to choke out. Coato looked up at the sky to see the sun just at sunrise. He looked over at Brady and told him in a serious tone,

"To take us as prisoner."

**TBC...**

**Author's Note: The next update might take a week because I'm going to a summer camp that has no electronics. So don't think I've given up on this, I'll be back with more!**

**This is un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine!**

**LONG LIVE BRAKAYLA & KING BRADY!**


	5. Gaining Strength

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pair of Kings, all rights go to Disney XD. If I did, King Brady would be back to eat cream pie with Boomer!**

_No, no, no… _Brady began panicking mentally. The king is many things, but a prisoner was not one of them. He wouldn't allow it. He and Boomer were the kind of people who hated being contained or controlled. They loved to have their own free will. He was pretty sure Mikayla and Mason would know that by now. The thought of being taken to the dark side and trapped there forever made his chest thump uncontrollably. He would never see Boomer again if he didn't escape now. _I would never see Mikayla._ That last thought was the tipping point for him. Before he could even control it, a white-hot fury spread through his veins. His muscles tensed and he grit his teeth. Adrenaline and a rage he never felt before rushed through his body, and he felt more alive than ever before. He would _not_ be taken prisoner. He would see Mikayla again.

Coato noticed the change of demeanor in Brady, and he looked at the king curiously. He almost jumped in surprise at the look on the king's face. Brady looked downright mad. The four tarantula people didn't even notice, they simply stayed silent and looked ahead. Maybe this would be a good time to do something before they were in real trouble. He slyly nudged Brady with his elbow. Brady looked over at him, and Coato glanced at the tarantula people before raising an eyebrow at Brady in question. The king immediately understood Coato, and he braced himself for the sabotage that was about to go down. He was ready. Coato grinned at the king, proud of the fact that Brady didn't look scared anymore, but ready for a fight. He noted that perhaps emotional circumstances caused Brady to act out like this, but he saved that thought for later. They had some butt-kicking to do. Coato had an idea come to mind and his grin got wider.

However, the grin faded and Coato suddenly cried out in pain before falling to the ground. He looked up at Brady and made a face as if to say, '_play along'_. Brady understood and said aloud,

"Oh no, he looks hurt." Brady had just about the worst acting ever, and Coato wanted to roll his eyes. But the tarantula people paid no mind to his bad acting skills, and stopped in their tracks to go back to the fallen Coato. One of them knelt as if to check what was wrong with the old man, and Coato shouted out,

"Now!" Coato and Brady acted at the same time. Brady shouted out a battle call and punched one tarantula person in the nose, and said tarantula person tripped over his own feet in surprise and fell comically on his behind. Brady moved quickly, he grabbed the fallen tarantula person's spear and threw a jab at another incoming tarantula person. The tarantula person swiped his spear at Brady, and it sliced at Brady's arm. It was just a small cut, but it made Brady even more angry than before. He yelled out again and attacked with everything he had. Meanwhile, Coato scrambled to his feet and gave a roundhouse kick at the kneeling tarantula person, and the enemy fell to the ground, knocked unconscious. He turned to face the other tarantula person, and ducked quickly to avoid a swinging spear. He grabbed the spear in mid-swing and yanked it towards him, and the tarantula person fell forward in trying to keep his balance. Coato brought the spear down to the tarantula person's head, and the enemy went down as the first had. He looked over to see Brady and the last standing tarantula person battling with their spears, and he ran towards them. Just as Brady was about to get the upperhand, the tarantula person crumpled to the ground, Coato appearing behind the enemy, holding a now bloody spear like his own.

"I had that one!" Brady exclaimed, but Coato merely shrugged. They looked around to see all four tarantula people laying on the ground, defeated. Brady felt his heart soar. They did it! They were free! He inspected his shirt sleeve where he got cut from before, and saw that his wound was bleeding a small amount. Coato noticed this too, and he reached over to rip off the sleeve.

"What was that for?" Brady asked with wide eyes. Coato carelessly dropped the sleeve to the ground.

"Your shirt is dirty, it might infect your wound." Brady rolled his eyes, grumbling complaints about how his shirt looked messed up now. He reached over to his other sleeve and ripped that off too, just to make it look even. He put the sleeve in his pocket.

"There, that looks better," Brady grinned up at Coato, "We should head back to get our stuff." Coato nodded in agreement and they both left the scene to go back to their makeshift camp. They didn't have to travel for too long before they saw their campfire still making smoke rise up into the air. They gathered their belongings before heading into a different direction, as they deemed the area up ahead dangerous with tarantula people.

"We must travel carefully, we don't anyone to follow our tracks," Coato stated to Brady. The king nodded, and the two began to make their journey again, only this time around with more caution.

Something had changed within Brady during their battle with the tarantula people. It was as if a bubble that encompassed Brady popped, and he could now truly see the danger evil could bring and how tempting it is to cower at it. But he knew that as king he had to protect his people from these evils. He realized that he couldn't be scared anymore. He needed to have strength and courage for what was to come if he truly wanted to defeat the dark side. Coato had a feeling that the prophecy was slowly coming true, and he began to have hope that maybe, just maybe, Kinkow stood a chance.

**Meanwhile**

Mikayla and three other guards scoured the jungle, hacking through every branch that stood in their way. They were close to finding their beloved king, they could feel it. Mikayla led the way, Brady's lost shirt clutched tightly in her hands, as if it would somehow lead her to him. _Brady, where are you? _Mikayla thought desperately. Then she saw something. A stream of smoke rose into the air, coming from the jungle floor. Her hazel brown eyes widened with hope, and she felt herself smile. She ran towards it, the other guards following without question. They found the campfire, and one of the guards pointed to a path of grass that looked stepped on. The path lead them to find four unconscious tarantula people all laying astray, but it looked like a dead-end. They searched the area for any clues, and just when they were about to give up, Mikayla stopped in her tracks. She felt the breath leave her and her hope increased. Her heart pounding, she knelt to pick up a shirt sleeve that definitely looked like it belonged to Brady. She smelt it, and her suspicions were correct. It sure smelt like him; of sun and rain, a strange combination that seemed to only make sense on Brady.

She held it up for the other guards to see, and they backtracked to the campfire again. Almost impossible to spot, Mikayla noticed another, smaller path that looked as if someone was trying to cover up their tracks. But no one was as skilled as Mikayla, and she pointed the path out to the other guards. They motioned for her to lead the way, and she nodded at them. Mikayla lifted a finger to her lips, telling them to not make a sound. Like a fox, she carefully began to follow the trail of footprints in the dirt, and before long, they heard the noises of the ones who were making the footprints.

**TBC...**

**This is un-beta'd so all mistakes are mine!**

**LONG LIVE KING BRADY & BRAKAYLA!**

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've had a pretty busy summer but I'm hoping to get back on track with this! **


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